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Entrant in the booth

An entrant in the booth.

An entrant is a character who is attempting to enter Arstotzka at the border checkpoint in East Grestin and whose documents the inspector can approve or deny (if they carry any). Technically, not all entrants want to enter Arstotzka, for example, on day 21, the fourth entrant is willing to pay money to get a red stamp.

Entrants make the bulk of the NPCs the inspector deals with during the game. Non-entrant NPCs are guards, Arstotzkan officials and scripted attackers. The inspector cannot deny or approve their entry or documents.

Types of entrants[]

The entrants are divided into two major groups, foreigners and Arstotzkan citizens. The two groups are addressed by the above names in the rulebook, and are distinguished by the documents they carry. Document requirements for foreigners vary depending on the type of the foreigner and the current in-game date, but foreigners typically require more paperwork than citizens.

Foreigner types[]

Immigrant[]

Access permit 1160

Access permit required from workers, immigrants, tourists and transients since day 27

Immigrant is a foreigner who is planning to move to Arstotzka permanently. The purpose field in their entry permit or access permit states "immigrate" and the duration field says "forever." The documents they need for valid entry are:

Tourist and transient[]

Tourists and transients are foreigners who are planning to stay in Arstotzka for a limited amount of time. The purpose field in their entry permit or access permit states either "transit" or "visit" and the duration field states a time period. They require the same documents as immigrants:

Worker[]

Workers are foreigners who will be working in Arstotzka for a limited amount of time. The purpose field in their entry permit or access permit states "work" and the duration field states a time period. They are first seen on day 4. On day 6, the Arstotzkan government begins to protect their economy and introduces the Work Pass to regulate their entry. The documents they need for valid entry are:

Asylum-seeker[]

Asylum-seekers are foreigners who come to Arstotzka to seek political asylum and carry a grant of asylum issued by the Ministry of Admission. They are first seen on day 21. The inspector needs to check their fingerprints before approving entry. Asylum-seekers need the following documents:

Diplomat[]

Diplomatic authorization 1160

A diplomatic Authorization

Diplomats are envoys of foreign countries who have unconditional diplomatic access to certain other countries. They are first seen on day 8 and carry a diplomatic authorization issued by their own government. No Arstotzkan diplomats are seen in the game. Diplomats require the following documents:

Journalist[]

Journalists are members of the press who attempt to enter Arstotzka presenting just a passport and an international press identification. The latter is not a valid document for entry purposes in Arstotzka, so journalists can be denied entry without risk of citation. There are only two journalists in the game, who appear on days 17 and 20.

Terminology[]

The game uses the terms entrant, foreigner, and immigrant inconsistently. Sometimes, characters use them interchangeably, but the rulebook and different documents clearly distinguish between the three types. Foreigners are not necessarily immigrants (as not all of them wish to move to Arstotzka permanently) and not all entrants are foreigners since many of them are Arstotzkan citizens.

Dialogue[]

When a procedurally generated foreigner enters the booth, the inspector asks them a few questions regarding the parameters of their trip. They may also say something that conflicts with their documents, prompting further dialogue options. All responses are documented on the audio transcript for reference.

First, the inspector asks "What is the purpose of your trip?" Replies vary according to the type of entrant (see that page for transcripts of responses). Then, the inspector will only ask about the duration of stay if the entrant is a tourist, a transient, or a worker (as these are the only types of "temporary" entrants).

Examples of entrants[]

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